Revelation, 20 March
1832

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

On 20 March 1832,
the
revelation
featured
here instructed JS to suspend work on his revision of the
Bible and take paper to Missouri for the printing of the Book of Commandments.
The instruction to travel immediately to Missouri allowed JS to comply with other
revelations as well. On 1 March 1832, a revelation informed
those who were ordained

The conferral of power and authority; to appoint, decree, or set apart. Church members, primarily adults, were ordained to ecclesiastical offices and other responsibilities by the laying on of hands by those with the proper authority. Ordinations to priesthood...

The authority and power held by certain officers in the church. The Book of Mormon referred to the high priesthood as God’s “holy order, which was after the order of his Son,” and indicated that Melchizedek, a biblical figure, was a high priest “after this...

that “the time ha[d] come” for
the church to organize its “Literary and Merchantile establishments” in both Ohio

French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut Western...

and Missouri. The
1 March revelation also instructed JS, Sidney
Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

JS revelation, dated 20 July 1831, designated Missouri as “land of promise” for gathering of Saints and place for “city of Zion,” with Independence area as “center place” of Zion. Latter-day Saint settlements elsewhere, such as in Kirtland, Ohio, became known...

A fallen angel, or son of God, known by many names, including Lucifer, the devil, the father of lies, the prince of darkness, perdition, and the adversary. In the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and JS’s Bible revisions, Satan was described as a tempter of men...

Under these circumstances, questions arose of how
to provide paper for the revelations and whether going to Missouri superseded
completing the revision of the New Testament. The 20
March revelation answered these questions.

Both of the questions asked in this revelation begin with the words “shall we,”
indicating that the questions were posed by more than one person and suggesting that
more than one person was answered. Frederick G. Williams

Generally, a divine mandate that church members were expected to obey; more specifically, a text dictated by JS in the first-person voice of Deity that served to communicate knowledge and instruction to JS and his followers. Occasionally, other inspired texts...

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

To produce a text from one written in another language; in JS’s usage, most often through divine means. JS considered the ability to translate to be a gift of the spirit, like the gift of interpreting tongues. He recounted that he translated “reformed Egyptian...

Whitney was not involved with the Bible
revision,
and it is not known if he was present when the revelation was dictated. However,
Whitney, JS, and Rigdon were all commanded to travel to Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

three weeks earlier.
Regardless of whether Whitney was present, the answer to the first question directed
Whitney to purchase the paper. The second question, “shall we finish the translation
of the New testament before we go to Zion

JS revelation, dated 20 July 1831, designated Missouri as “land of promise” for gathering of Saints and place for “city of Zion,” with Independence area as “center place” of Zion. Latter-day Saint settlements elsewhere, such as in Kirtland, Ohio, became known...

,” further indicates that the questions were
asked by—and the answers directed to—those working on the Bible revision at this
time. Between 16 February and 1
April 1832, Rigdon assisted JS with the revision, but toward the end of
this period Jesse Gause

Ca. 1784–ca. Sept. 1836. Schoolteacher. Born at East Marlborough, Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Gause (Goss) and Mary Beverly. Joined Society of Friends (Quakers), 1806. Moved to Fayette Co., Pennsylvania, 1808; to Chester Co., 1811; and to Wilmington...

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

, but the lack of punctuation and the
interlinear corrections and clarifications in the copy in Whitney’s possession
suggest that it could be the original inscription. Whitney endorsed the revelation
at the bottom of the page, dating it 20 March
1832 and giving the location as Hiram

Area settled by immigrants from Pennsylvania and New England, ca. 1802. Located in northeastern Ohio about twenty-five miles southeast of Kirtland. Population in 1830 about 500. Population in 1840 about 1,100. JS lived in township at home of John and Alice...

JS revelation, dated 20 July 1831, designated Missouri as “land of promise” for gathering of Saints and place for “city of Zion,” with Independence area as “center place” of Zion. Latter-day Saint settlements elsewhere, such as in Kirtland, Ohio, became known...

Apl. 1832.” The April
date in the second endorsement is unlikely because JS departed for Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

on 1 April and Whitney’s apparently earlier endorsement
of 20 March has corroboration.6

Also, in the phrase “Command as to
Paper for Zion
Apl. 1832,” it is
possible that the date of April 1832 modifies only
“Paper for Zion,” rather than the commandment to take it there. JS,
Rigdon, and Whitney acquired the paper and started for
Missouri in
April.

copied the revelation into Revelation Book 2,
probably sometime before JS left for Missouri, he gave its place and date as “Hiram

Area settled by immigrants from Pennsylvania and New England, ca. 1802. Located in northeastern Ohio about twenty-five miles southeast of Kirtland. Population in 1830 about 500. Population in 1840 about 1,100. JS lived in township at home of John and Alice...

Revelation
Book 2, p.
19.
Even if
Whitney’s copy is not the original, it is a more
complete copy than those in Revelation Book 1 and Revelation Book 2.
The Whitney copy contains two questions and two answers, while the copy in Revelation Book 1
(made by Whitmer, probably sometime after April
1832) includes only the first answer. The Revelation Book 2
copy, meanwhile, contains everything except for the first question. Further, the
copy in Whitney’s possession is the only manuscript copy with “first” and “second”
written before the questions. Although Rigdon may have inserted these words, they
could also be a part of the original inscription. The copies in Revelation Books 1
and 2 each had an
“X”
drawn through them, presumably to exclude the revelation from publication. This revelation
was never published, and no other manuscript copies of it are known beyond the
three discussed here.
(Revelation
Book 1, p.
148.)

Area settled by immigrants from Pennsylvania and New England, ca. 1802. Located in northeastern Ohio about twenty-five miles southeast of Kirtland. Population in 1830 about 500. Population in 1840 about 1,100. JS lived in township at home of John and Alice...

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

One leaf,
measuring 6½ × 7¾ inches (17 × 20 cm). The top and the right side of the recto
have the square cut of manufactured paper, whereas the left side and the bottom
are unevenly cut.
Newel
K. Whitney

JS revelation, dated 20 July 1831, designated Missouri as “land of promise” for gathering of Saints and place for “city of Zion,” with Independence area as “center place” of Zion. Latter-day Saint settlements elsewhere, such as in Kirtland, Ohio, became known...

|
Apl. 1832”. The
recto of the document also bears a graphite docket by Whitney: “20 March 1832 at Hyrum

Area settled by immigrants from Pennsylvania and New England, ca. 1802. Located in northeastern Ohio about twenty-five miles southeast of Kirtland. Population in 1830 about 500. Population in 1840 about 1,100. JS lived in township at home of John and Alice...

, were inherited
by his daughter Mary Jane Whitney, who married
Isaac Groo. This collection was passed down in the Groo
family and donated by members of the family to the Harold B. Lee Library at
Brigham Young University during the period 1969–1974.1